The App Store of the iPhone provides a relatively controlled environment for selling licensed software. However other platforms and operating systems, in particular Android™ have a more open environment in which software is available from many different vendors, and via many different distribution channels. There is therefore a need for techniques for ‘licensing’ (or related activities) in such environments. Background prior art can be found in section 2.2 “Schema of Activation Data” of APS Licensing aspect 1,2, 1999, 2009, Parallels Inc.; and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,048.